The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-10-20

4
| pubic money by loose and agani
| System of expenditures which has no parallel
| in our history. II maintained an unequal
| system Of taxation, for the ayowed purpose OF
| obstructing international exchanges. and II
| the same time, with glaring inconsistency, il
| paid subsidies out of the public treasury to en-
| courage foreign commerce. 1t employed the
| military power to control elections by the
! people, and to overawe the tribunals up
| pointed by law 10 make. the returns. II
| established and abolished courts and commits
| sions. and increased or diminished their luris-
| dictions 10 meet political emergencies; and,
under the decisions and awards OF these tenI.
porary and irresponsible tribunals, it paid
many millions of dollars out of the public
treasury on claims of at least doubtful validity
held by people living in part of the country
| where Republican votes were sorely needed.
| Up to the last moment OF its supremacy, 1t
habiiually used official power for partisan pur-
poses and made its placemen IN organized
body OF political serfs, every one Of whom was
compelled by the memorable law of the party
| to contribute his money and his personal serv-
ices whenever demanded.
It is not proposed here to attempt IN emu
meration OF all the obnoxious measures and
arbitrary practices of the Republican party
while in power, but simply TO mention a few,
for the purpose of indicating the spirit in which
it conducted public affairs. It has left the
country legacy OF bad laws and vicious
methods Of administration which it will take
many years OF earnest labor to correct. and it
is evident that this task can be best
performed By those who have no per
sonal or political responsibility for the
evils that are TO be remedied The reconstruc-
ton Of the navy and the restoration of the
merchant marine are not likely to be accom-
plshed by continuation of the same policy
which reduced them to their present condition:
nor iS hot Of
the civil service as will make it thoroughly
honest and effective, and place official respon-
sIbllity above partisan obllg atoms, can or viii
be effected by the same political party which
persisently pursued the course that made re-
form necessary. II would be an act OF folly to
intrust the preservation of the public domain
10 the same men who, when they had the
power, despoiIed this great heritage OF the
people The same influences which surrounded
and controlled them then surround and con-
troll them now. and will continue to do so.
Few questions of purely internal policy are
OF greater or more immediate Importance to
the people than those which relate directly or
indirectly to the public lands. These questions
are of supreme Importance to that large
number of our citizens who are without other
means than the wages of their labor. and
who are struggling to secure homes
FOR themselves and families Unless
the comparatively small quantity of arabic
land now LEFT in the hands OF the Government
is carefully protected against the encroach-
ments of mere spectators and the fraudulent
evasions Of the law which have already re-
suited IN the acquisition of many millions of
acres, the time is not far distant when it will be
impossible for the surplus laborers in the older
communities to secure cheap homes in the
West; ard then we shall begin 70 experience,
IN worse form than ever heretofore, those So
cial and political evils which naturally spring
from dense and idle populations. The situa-
ton impcratively demands the careful revision
and strict enforcement of the laws relating to
the disposition of the public domain, so that
speculation and fraud may be prevented or
punished, and cheap homes and good titles
guaranteed to the honest settler; the reclama-
ton of lands Illegally occupied or claimed by
individuals and corporations, foreign and 60
mestic; and just and speedy settlement of all
matters in dispute between the Government
and the subsidized railroad companies; the en-
actment and rigid enforcement of laws to COM
pei corporations to take patents for all
the lands actually and legally earned by them
under grants from the Government, so that
they may be subject to taxation by the States
and Territories in which they are situated; and,
finally, the adoption of a just and enlightened
policy for the civilization and Government of
the Indians within our jurisdiction, in order
that all the substantial rights of these depend
unnecessarily re:arding the develop ment OF
our new States and Territories.
Much has already been doae during the pres
ent Administration to reclaim lands condition
ally granted to railroad and other corporations,
to annul fraudulent entries. to prevent uElaw-
fui Enclosures, and to protect the timbers and
Minerals upon the public domain; but the work
is stillincomplete, and it will require addition
al legislation and constant vigilance upon the
Of pNfr,f-f
of the laws, to prevent the improper apprOpria-
tion of large part of the most valuable terri
tory belonging TO tho Government. In
order TO do this the cooperation OF the
legislative and Executive departments is alb
solutely necessary, and past experience has
shown that this cooperation, except to a linn
tied extent, could not be secured until after 4
Democratic Administration was iuauguratel.
The foundations OF the existing system, under
which immense landed estates have been
Quired by foreign and domestic corporations
and syndicates, were laid by the Republican
party, and the fraudulent practices which have
deSpOiled the public domain OF its most fertile
and valuable sect ons were begun and contin-
ued while Republican officials alone were
charged with the duty OF enforcing the laws and
protecting the interests ofthe Government and
the people. Even now, when the magnitude of
the evil is almost universally recognized. and
the demand for immediate reform is urgently
pressed by the homeless labor of the country,
the Republican Se-ate either refuses to act at
all or proceeds slowly and reluctantly to the
consideration OF the subject. On the other
hand, the Democratic House has boen earnest
and active in its efforts to secure such changes
in the laws as will dedicate the public lands to
actual settlers under the Homestead law. and
has even gone so far as to amend its rules in
order to give such measures preference
over other business. 1t has passed bills
FORGETTING and restoring to the Govern
ment for the benefit of actual set
tiers, more than one hundred million
acres of land, only q part Of which has been
concurred in by the Senate; and it has passed
and sent to the Senate bill to repeal the
Timber Culture. Presumption and Desert Land
laws, under which most of the great frauds
were committed. The course OF the Interior
Department under the direction of Dem
ocrat;c Secretary and Commissioner of the
Land Ofice, is familiar to the country, and
need not be commented upon here. 1t has
been uniformly IN the interest Of a faithful and
honest administration of the law in spirit of
friendship for the bona fds settler and claim
ant. and hostility to the fraudulent adventurer
ana speculator. In view Of what has actually
occurred in the past and considering the pres
ent attitudes of the two parties with reference
to the subject, there is scarcely room for a
doubt as to which one Of them would be the
safest custodian OF the public interests. AMI the
most likely to protect the honest claim Of the
humble citizen against the predatory schemes
Of organized capital and political infu-
ence.
Closely connected with the question of reve-
nue. re AUCTION is the question of honesty and
economy in the public expenditures. That
the ordinary expenditures of the Government,
not including pensions or payments upon the
principal and interest Of the war debt have
enormously outgrown the increase OF popula-
ton and public business, is a proposition
which can be mathematically demonstrated;
and as this is a reversal OF the rule that pre-
nd and Nv 81